Once everyone compromises–we buy all vintages, and Bordelais price less collectible ones to drink–it will all be fine. Too much point chasing and leveraging going on.

First 8, then 88, I keep telling these guys that eight eights are the way to go.

Cheers, Boyce

It is all a little bit cynical I think and unfortunately it is precluding more and more people by the day. As someone above rightly said, ’08 is lovely,’ and it was (almost) affordable…

from Hong Kong

One of the smaller negociants explained that in order to keep getting that stash of x cases of a first growth in great years, he has to stay in line for xx in mediocre years. But Americans tend to not buy that way so after ’02 he stopped working so hard to secure wine for American importers. He was already selling to Hong Kong. (As were many others. The French have been working that market at many price points for 20 yrs+).

I’d suggest the UK speculators who bought ’08 Mouton and Lafite (when Americans didn’t) – prices were “low,” there was too much overpriced ’07, and the economic crisis was in full swing – could be in for a good payout. But UK buyers have fed the Hong Kong and Chinese markets for centuries.

And ’08 is actually lovely.

Considered in isolation, I think the choice of a non-Western artist for the label for once is a good thing and a long-overdue tribute. But sometimes I do feel that the recent trends in Bordeaux and Burgundy seem to make the rest of us second-rate consumers.

I’ve always been curious about the marketing of French wines to Ireland and Scotland, back during the five centuries or so when the wine trade with England was messed up over things like wool and other petty disputes. It seems so odd now to think of wealthy Scots getting first pick of the best Bordeaux, or of the “winegeese” of Ireland gong back and forth.

Average wine goes up in price because of a “pretty” label.